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Anyone who has used a desktop 3D printing system will recognise that they create a significant amount of waste (beyond the pointless knickknacks they so often churn out). This is especially true of multi-colour printers that must purge the nozzle between colour changes.
The very nature of the desktop 3D printing enthusiast is that of problem-solver and do-it-yourselfer, so it is no surprise that when the M1 and R1 were launched on Indiegogo last month they hit their funding target of ~€85,000 in 16 minutes and 32 seconds. With 22 days left at the time of writing, 4,587 backers have pledged €5 million to get first access to the systems. The R1 shreds failed prints, supports, and scrap material into granules, which the M1 then melts, extrudes, and spools into fresh, printable filament.
Recycling thermoplastics is tricky at the best of times, with repeated heating and cooling affecting the composition and characteristics of the material. Any waste to be processed into new filament therefore requires careful preparation and most likely mixing with at least some virgin material in order to create useful, printable filaments. For the desktop FFF power user however, the potential cost savings and ability to experiment are seemingly enough to make the move. Systems will reportedly ship in June 2026, with an MSRP of ~€1,480 but the Indiegogo listing is live until 15th May, with the combined system available for ~€1,048.
